Present headrails for retractable venetian window blinds are generally U-shaped channels which are mounted in a window opening by attachment either to the face of the window frame, by an end mount to the inner walls of the window casing, or by an overhead mount to the upper wall of the casing or the ceiling adjacent to the window. In order to mount the headrail in any one of these three ways, cup-shaped brackets have been generally provided which fit onto either end of the headrail. These brackets generally have screw holes in them positioned for each of the three mounting configurations and are adapted also to fit around the headrail to support it from below and to prevent it from tilting.
Among the drawbacks of such conventional headrails and brackets are that the brackets present an unattractive enlarged portion at each end of the headrail and, in cases where the headrail is mounted on the face of the window frame, the ends of the brackets present a view of unsightly screw holes. In addition, the draw cords and slat adjusting mechanisms employed for such headrails are brought out at an angle to the front of the headrail through the front face thereof. As a result, an extra valance strip must be attached along the front face of the headrail to present a smooth and clean appearance for the face of the headrail. This requires both additional material costs and the requirement of carrying extra inventory.
Two means of overcoming the above-described deficiencies are disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,185 and commonly-assigned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/389,288 filed on Aug. 2, 1989, now abandoned. The inventions of both U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,185 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/389,288 disclose a headrail and bracket combination.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,185, the bracket has a top plate having a hook means for engaging a support lip on the front wall of the headrail, a rear ledge means for engaging the lower edge of the rear wall of the headrail and a ramp means extending from the top plate of the bracket for engaging the upper edge of the rear wall of the headrail. When the headrail is engaged in the bracket, the ramp means urges the upper edge of the rear wall of the headrail rearwardly to pull the support lip on the front wall of the headrail into tight engagement with the hook means of the bracket.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/389,288, the bracket has a hook means for engaging a support lip on the front wall of the headrail, a rear ledge means for engaging the lower edge of the rear wall of the headrail and a leg means for urging the top plate upward to ensure that the hook means is pushed into tight engagement with the support lip on the front wall of the headrail.
Each of these headrail and bracket combinations is an improvement over the cup-shaped brackets and headrails previously used. However, although the brackets of U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,185 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/389,288 securely support the headrail, they may be somewhat difficult to engage with the headrail.
It would be desirable to provide a supporting bracket and headrail for retractable venetian window blinds in which the brackets are adapted for mounting in any one of the three conventional positions and which, at the same time, avoid presenting to view enlarged end brackets or screw holes.
It would also be desirable to provide a supporting bracket and headrail which provide a smooth, substantially uninterrupted surface for the face and ends of the headrail and thereby avoid the need for a valance strip, providing a reduction of materials and inventory requirements.
It would still further be desirable to provide a supporting bracket and headrail in which the headrail is simple to insert into the supporting bracket.